Concealed 90 deg. hinge



Oct. 18, 1955 M T, EVANS 2,720,677

CONCEALED 90 HINGE I Filed Jan. 10, 1951 INVENTOR. Myron 71 E van/s B Y I United States Patent CONCEALED 90 HINGE Myron T. Evans, United States Navy Application January 10, 1951, Serial No. 205,398

Claims. (Cl. 16-179) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) This invention relates to hinges for doors and the like with special application to hinges which may be coneealed and which permit flush placement of the door in relation to the door jamb on closure and flush placement of the inner door surface with the floor of the jamb when the door is in open position.

In cabinet construction it is frequently desirable that the hinge construction of the door be such as to avoid all protuberances so that the cabinet when the door is closed presents a uniform flat surface unbroken by hinge elements. It is also frequently desirable that when the door of the cabinet is open, assuming the door to be hinged at the cabinet base and to open outwardly to present an extension of the inner base of the cabinet, that there be no offset or gap between the cabinet base interior and the inner surface of the door. In the usual butt hinge this is impossible due to the necessity for providing space for the hinge pin and enclosure thus producing a projection from the cabinet surface at the hinge point. Hinges have been previously constructed making use of pin and slot connections between the door and the door jamb for the purpose of concealing the hinge construction and eliminating projecting surfaces, but as far as known these connections involve the use of two or more slots and such complexity of arrangement as to develop possibility of failure in the door action such as might be produced by the jamming ofthe parts.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a hinge for doors and the like which may be concealed from exterior view.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge, which when applied to a door for a cabinet, permits door closure without any exterior projections of the hinge parts. An object also is to provide a hinge which in cabinet door use permits door opening so that the inner base .of the cabinet between the side hinges of the door is flush and in close contiguity with the inner door surface. Another object involved in the invention is the utilization of hinge elements susceptible to concealment in the attachment to a cabinet door and which may be employed on either side of the door without replacement of the parts. An important object of the invention is to provide a door hinge in which use is made of a single pin and slot connection. Other objects including attainment of positive hinge action free of jamming tendencies with a reduced number of parts and objects relating to the method and details of construction will be apparent on consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the hinge parts in position for assembly;

Fig. 2 is a detailed elevational view of the hinge attached to cabinet and door elements and showing the door in open position;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the hinge taken along lines 33 of Fig. 2;

2,720,677 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 ice Fig. 4 is a detailed elevational view, partly in section, of the hinge with the door in vertical position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the door approximately one-third opened;

Fig. 6 is a view also similar to Fig. 4 with a door approximately two-thirds opened;

Fig. 7 is a plan view partly in section of the open position of a modified hinge; and

Fig. 8 is a detail of the hinge connection of Fig. 7 taken along line 88 of Fig. 7.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing the parts of the hinge are clearly shown including the stationary plate 10 adapted to be attached to door jamb 11 (Fig. 2) of a cabinet by means of screws 12 entering screw openings 13 formed in the shank 14 of the plate. The end 15 of the plate opposite from the attachment end is provided with a slot 16 arcuate in shape with a center of curvature ofiset toward the base edge 17 and the back edge 18 of the plate. The end 15 has also a rearward projection 19 having openings serving for attachment by means of screws 23 to the door jamb 11 and also to a removable plate 21 having screw openings 22 opposite the openings receiving screws in plate 14 The plate 21 in addition to the attachment element 23 is provided with a flat section 24 extending from an edge of the plate section 23 so as to be opposite the base section 15 of plate 10, as viewed in Fig. 1, and in this removable plate is formed an arcuate slot 25 similar in curvature and dimensions to slot 16 in plate section 15 and alined therewith. When these two plates have been attached to each other by screws 2% and thus to the jamb of the door the section 23 of the plate 21 being of greater thickness than the projecting plate 24 provides a space between the plate sections 15 and 24 in which the hinge member 26 may be placed.

The hinge member 26 is in the form of an elongated strap having a rectangular attachment end 27 provided with beveled openings 28 for insertion of attachment screws into door 33. The other end of the plate is formed with one corner cut off at a substantial angle as indicated at 29 and approaching the other corner of this end the edge is rounded thus forming a cam 50 with the extreme outer end point of the cam being in close proximity to the upper edge 30 of the plate. The plate is also provided with pins 31 and 32 oppositely positioned on the plate 26 adjacent the cam and in relatively close proximity to the edge surface 30 of the plate. In assembly it is apparent that the pins 31 and 32 he respectively in the grooves 16 and 25 of the two stationary members 19 and 21 and, with the plate 26 attached to the door 33, on movement of the door to its horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2, the pins rest in the upper and outer ends of the slots, whereas in the vertical door position the pins are at the lower and rearward ends of the slots. It is evident that the slots 16 and 2S serve as guide means to control the path of movement of the pins 31 and 32. The distance between the pins 31, 32, and the dimension of the cam end of the door edge member 26 is such that in the open door position of Fig. 2 the cam is in proximate contact with the bearing surface 36 of the plate section 23 and the base edge of the door is juxtaposed against the door sill so that there is no appreciable discontinuity between the cabinet base and the inner or upper door surface. Also, the inner door surface 34 and the edge 30 of the hinge are flush with the top surface 35 of the cabinet base or shelf.

Assuming the door in position as shown in Fig. 2 the operation of the hinge may now be detailed. As the door is raised the door plate 26 pivots at the end of the slots 16 and 25 until the nose of the cam slides down the cam surface 36 of the plate 21 to a point where the weight of the door is efiective to slide the pins in the slots thus ther pivotal action, the door moving to the position of Fig. 5. i

.: In the closed position ofFig. 4 the weight of the door forces'the pins to the lower ends of the arcuate slides in which position the outer door surface is flush with the outer surface of the door jamb, thus providing a completely smooth exterior to the cabinet. In the opening action of the door the initial outer movement of the door producesa camming action of the cam against the camming surface 36 thus forcing the hinge plate 26 and attached door upwardly and outwardly and with a'continuous movement along the arcuate slots successively to the positions of Fig. '5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 2, in the last position the pins being at the extreme upper and outer ends of the slots through the'combined action of the cam and the door weight. It appears therefore that by this construction there is provided not only complete concealment of the hinge but also. a smooth continuous base between the cabinet floor top anddoor sill and'the inner surface of the door when opened, and entire elimination of the projecting hinge members when the door is in closed position. It is noted that-the elimination of gaps between the door and sill is made possible not only by the coaction of the cam; pin and slot, but also by proper dimensioning of the parts, the distance between the upper end of the slot 25 and the outer edge of the stationary member being not greater than the distance between the lower end of the slot and the horizontal plane, including the top edge of the movable member when in horizontal or open position.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a modification of the invention involving variations of the construction shown in Fig. 1 3 These variations include elimination of one of the two separate supporting plates 10 and 21 of Fig. 1 and the construction of the slot in the retained supporting stationary member in such way as to permit use on either the right or the left hinge of the cabinet door. As shown in Fig.1 the jamb 40 of the cabinet is inwardly channeled and provided with a boundary edge 41, the channel receiving' the support plate 42. This plate is similar to the removable plate 2 10f Fig. .1 with the exception that the slot is extended in substantially U shape. This plate is placed'rn the channel formed by the raised edge 41 of the jamb, and the hinge plate 42, provided with a single pin 43, is inserted in the support plate slot 45 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The action'of cam 44 and the pin and slot connection is identical in this modification to that of the modification of Fig. 1. port plate 42 may be positioned on either side of the door and that the single pin serves the same purpose as the double pin of .Fig. 1.

For the purpose of this disclosure, the edge of cabinet base 35 extends to, and is flush with, the door jamb 11, this base edge constituting the door sill, as commonly described, although integral with the floor structure.

Modifications other than those described may of course be made, the invention including such variations as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge for placement at one end of a fiat door sill surface comprising a stationary member having a single cam bearing surface; a movable member; a single movable pivot between said members, said pivot including a pin projecting from said movable member and a slot, in which said pin is slidable, formed in said stationary mem-' her; and a cam fixed to said movable member adjacent said pin with the camming surface thereofsubstantially parallel to the pin axis, said camming surface normally engaging the bearing surface on said stationary member It is apparent that the supwith a camming' action for a distance corresponding to the full length of movement of said pin in said slot and the upper end of said bearing surface lying in a plane defined by the inner face of said movable member at one extreme position thereof'and approximately parallel to a horizontal plane including the sill surface.

2. In a structure having a door sill, door jamb and a door hinged to insure close placement of the door hinge edge surface relative to the surface of thedoor sill when i 1 the door is closed -and to insure flush, juxtaposed, un

gapped placement of the door hinge edge surface relative V to the outer edge surface of the sill when the 'door is in opened position, a hinge having a stationary vertical strap 'member attached to the door jamb adjacent the sill and provided with a cam bearing surface adjacent the inner edge thereof and a slot inclined upwardly and outwardly;

a movable member secured to the door edge and movable therewith; .a pivot pin fixed to said movable member and in sliding engagement withlthe slot of said stationary mernher; and a cam attached to said movable member and engaging said earn bearing surface, said cam and cam bear ing surface cooperating whensaid movable member and attached door are opened outwardly to force said pin continuously along said slot to the extreme end thereof and the door hinge edge upwardly and outwardly from the top .of the door sill into a close ungapped position with respect to the outer sill edge, the distance between the upper slot end and that adjacent front edge of the stationary member being not over the distance between the lower slot end and the plane including the top edge .of the movable member when in horiiontal position.

3. In a structure having a door sill, door jamb and a door hinged to insure close placement of the door hinge edge surface relative to the flat surface of the door sill when the door is closed and to insure flush, juxtaposed, ungapped placement of the door hinge edge surface relative to the outer edge surfaceof the sill when the door is in opened position, a hinge having a stationary strap 1 member attachable to the door jamb adjacent the sill provided with a cambearing surface adjacent the inner edge thereof a'nd a slot inclined upwardly and outwardly relative to the door opening; a strap shaped movable member secured to the side door edge and projecting beyond the door hinge edge, the top edge of the movable member being flushwith the inner door surface; a pivot pin fixed transversely to said movable member inproximity to'the projecting end and the top edge thereof, for

sliding movement in said stationary member slot; and a cam attached to the projecting end of said movable member beyond said pin and with the cam tip'lying in a line including the pin and parallel to' thetop edge of the movable member when in open position; said cam and cam' 4. In a structure having a door sill, a door jamb and a door hinged to insure flush placement of the outer face of the door with respect to the exterior vertical edge of the door jamb when the door is closed and to insure flush,

juxtaposed, ungapped placement of the hinge-bearing,

door edge surface relative to the outer edge surfaceof the sill when the door is in opened position; a hinge having a stationary member attached to the door'jamb and provided with a single cam bearing surface; a movable" member secured to the door edge and movable therewith; a movable pivot between said members, said pivot including a pin and guide means; and 'asingle cam attached to said movable member and engaging said cam' bearing surface, said cam bearing surface having a length permitting continuous cooperative engagement with said cam throughout the full door swing between closed and opened position when said movable member is pivoted about said pin to force said pin along said guide means,

whereby the door is moved to flush, ungapped position I with respect to the door sill at either extreme of door movement.

5. In a structure having a door with a hinge-bearing edge normal to its outside face, a door jamb and a door sill with an outside edge lying in a plane including the outer door surface when the door is closed, a hinge connecting the door and door jarnb to insure close placement or the hinge-bearing door edge relative to the side of the sill facing the door when the door is closed and to insure flush juxtaposed, ungapped placement of the inside face of the door relative to the said side of the sill when the door is in opened position, said hinge including a slotted plate secured to the door jamb; a projection forming a single straight cam bearing surface normal to said plate and positioned on the rear edge thereof behind said door; a pin in the slot of said plate; and a movable hinge member secured to the door and movable therewith in proximity to said slotted plate, said movable member being pivoted on said pin and having a single cam at one end which engages said cam bearing surface continuously as the door is moved between closed and open position, as the door moves to open position, with the limits of cammiug movement coinciding with the limits of pin movement in said slot and the closed and open door positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 61,766 Schafer Feb. 5, 1867 439,731 Klineline Nov. 4, 1890 2,016,598 Field Oct. 8, 1935 2,042,886 Ferguson June 2, 1936 2,132,266 Lefevre Oct. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 415,251 Italy Oct. 4, 1946 

